15 Young Firms to Watch: Bercy Chen Studio, Austin, Texas

Verbatim

Bercy Chen Studio

“We don’t have a preconceived notion of what a house looks like, so we take a fresh approach every time.” (Thomas Bercy)

“We’re trying to retain more immediacy and control with our work and can do some of that with the design-build process. For some architects the building process can be really alienating, but for us it’s an important part of our office and has a lot to do with the look of our projects.” (Calvin Chen)

“[Incorporating the] landscape makes houses more interesting and it has inspired our work. We both grew up in dense cities – Burssels and TaiPei—so it’s a real treat to get inspiration from nature.” (Calvin Chen)

“We look at primitive architecture and how people have over the centuries come up with solutions to temper the climate. This empirical data is critical and a lot of people completely ignore it. We’re interested in picking it up and modernizing and improving on it.” (Thomas Bercy)

“We hope there are ways to be design not just houses for the rich, but a way to popularize good, efficient design for the masses. I think it’s every architect’s’ dream, but maybe with this renewal of thinking about manufacturing and prefabrication it can happen.” (Thomas Bercy)

Brussels-born Thomas Bercy and Calvin Chen, Assoc. AIA, who hails from Taiwan by way of Australia, have vastly different backgrounds. Yet the former University of Texas schoolmates share such a similar design tactic that they draw on each other’s sketches. Launched in 2001, Austin, Texas–based Bercy Chen Studio has since won more than 20 awards from 12 countries. They credit the recognition to their international influences and collaborative approach.

The firm’s portfolio splits almost evenly between residential and commercial, but Bercy and Chen agree that designing a single-family custom home is a welcome luxury for two people who grew up in dense cities. “It’s rare in Asia and Europe to design single-family,” Chen explains.

In addition to designing—and sometimes building—gorgeous projects, Bercy and Chen also get involved in community issues. “Architects in the U.S. are at the periphery of the building industry,” Bercy laments. Both partners serve on arts and design boards or committees, and the firm took part in a task force to create a cultural master plan for Austin. “There’s no American equivalent to Rem Koolhaas,” Chen observes. “He’s working with different groups on housing for the future or city planning, and you don’t see famous American architects involved in policy.”